HL Deb 18 October 1993 vol 549 cc32-3WA
Lord Bruce of Donington

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will update the Answer provided on 25th July 1990 (H.L. Deb., col. 1604) concerning all the emoluments currently payable to British Members of the European Parliament.

The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)

All Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) receive the same salary as national parliamentarians in their member state. The European Assembly (Pay and Pensions) Act 1979 determines that the salary payable to United Kingdom MEPs shall be the same as that paid to a Member of the UK House of Commons (currently £30,854) except that, where an MEP is also a member of the UK Parliament, he or she will receive only one-third of that salary in addition to his or her UK parliamentary salary.

The European Parliament has laid down a number of allowances for its Members to defray the expenses which they incur in the performance of their parliamentary duties. These allowances are as follows:

1. General Expenditure Allowance

Of ECU 2,732 (£2,106) per month which is intended to defray, for example, Members' expenses on office management costs, telephone, postage and travel within their member state. This allowance is halved for Members who, for no valid reason, have failed to attend at least half the number of plenary sittings.

2. Travel Allowance

  1. (a) For official travel within the Community: 0.73 ECU (£0.56) per kilometre for the first 400 km of both inward and outward journeys; and 0.37 ECU (£0.29) per kilometre thereafter;
  2. (b) For official travel outside the Community: reimbursement of the return air fare by the most direct route on presentation of the ticket;
  3. (c) Travel allowance of ECU 3,000 (£2,313) per annum to meet the costs incurred on travel undertaken throughout the world in the performance of their duties (for purposes other than official meetings, for example to give a speech in another member state). This allowance may also cover accommodation and breakfast expenses.

3. Subsistence allowance

The daily allowances are:

  1. (a) For travel within the Community 199 ECU (£153).
  2. (b) For travel outside the Community 99.5 ECU (£77) plus cost of overnight accommodation etc.

4. Secretarial Assistance Allowance

Of up to ECU 7,468 (£5,757) per month.

5. Communications Allowance

Of up to ECU 1,000 (£771) a year towards purchase and running costs of data processing and transmission equipment and a fax machine in the Member's constituency.

Note: The sterling figures have been calculated using exchange rates correct at 7th October 1993.